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Chemo At It's Worst

Dennise

Posts: 1
Joined: Aug 2004

Aug 08, 2004 - 6:22 pm

My husband has NHL Stage 3, both small & large B cell. He has had 3 treatments with Rituxan (before docs discovered the Large cell as well) and 7 treatments of CHOP with one more to go this week. He's terribly ill. Absolutely no energy, having trouble walking, very very weak, just developed Bell's Palsy, and has pain from legs (calves) muscle, and pain in his back. He is taking Newlasta and Procrit which would explain some of the muscle pain, but he's not recovering between chemos like he was previously. Is it normal to be (and stay) so very ill like this?

I hope your husband has started to recover a bit. I had six rounds of CHOP plus Rituxan earlier this year and found that the symptoms were different with each round but the recovery seemed slower with each round. I had reduced energy, odd aches and pains, all the typical symptoms. The good news is that with within a month, my blood counts and energy had largely recovered and now, 4 months after the last treatment, I feel better than I have in a long, long time. The NHL slipped up on me over a long period before I was finally diagnosed - now its gone.

I finished with my 8th session of chop with Rituxan. Every treatment produced different symptoms from bone pain, muscle weakness and pain. Severe ataxia needing to hold onto walls and furniture for a while which came from the vanchristine(sp?) and had to be stopped. I lost my left large toenail from the adriomysin (sp?) and this also had to be stopped.I have peripheral neuropathy in the fingers and toes still. I am currently one and a half months since my last chemo and am back at work 6-7 hours a day. It probably is normal for him to stay ill like this till the chemo is over. I had aches and pains every day and rarely the same ones. I am only now starting to feel better. Tell him to hang in there there is alight at the end of the tunnel.

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